naqoyqatsi, life as war

What? That's exactly what I said when I learned that we'd be selling tickets for Godfrey Reggio and Phillip Glass' Qatsi trilogy. The trilogy includes the films, "Koyaanisqatsi, Life Out of Balance", "Powaqqatsi, Life in Transformation", and the film I saw tonight, "Naqoyqatsi, Life as War."

If you're one of the many, including me until very recently, who haven't heard of the Qatsi trilogy, Godfrey Reggio, or Phillip Glass, let me fill you in. Godfrey Reggio is a film maker who believes that the world can no longer be explained, or understood through language. Because of this, he sought out a new way to communicate his vision. Using both still images, film, and music provided by the composer, Phillip Glass, he presents these three completely silent films, absence of actors, characters, and plot, to display his commentary of the world. San Francisco Performances, who my work sells tickets for, presented this trilogy this weekend with Phillip Glass and the Phillip Glass Ensemble playing the score.

I went through a gamut of emotions watching the film tonight. Going in, I really had no idea what to expect, and I had received mixed reviews. Some had raved, so seemed unimpressed. At first, I was amazed and completely enthralled and moved by the beautiful cinematography and music. I'll admit, I did have some dozing moments, nevertheless I was struck by several points of the Qatsi experience, and I'll share that with you now....

There was a segment with 15 to 20 wax figures they showed that were powerful and influencing people in the world. What struck me as interesting, was that only two of these figures were women; Princess Diana, and Jacky O. As I began to pay attention to this, I also started to notice the male soldiers, astronauts, leaders, criminals, athletes. Where are all the women? Well, they were the sex figures, or stay at home moms. It was just intense how the few women the film showed didn't fit into one of these two categories. Maybe 5 total, of hundreds throughout the movie. And, the powerful women he had shown had been beautiful mothers, and the essence of what we define as being feminine. Then I wondered if this was the exact comment the film maker had wanted to make, how crazy it is that in so many societies half the population is practically ignored.

Or was it? That started me on another path of wonder...How did Godfrey Reggio choose the images he wished to display? What was the process that he went through? Did he film the pieces or buy the rights? How did he know what he wanted, did he have a picture of it in his head? An image concept? Anyway, in the end I was pretty impressed with the artistic beauty displayed. Just slightly disappointed at how my folk were portrayed.

Well, I definitely think that it's something to been seen, I know I want to see the first two now. But it's most definitely not for everyone.